Want to be Filled with the Holy Spirit? Just Ask!

There has been something that has ministered to my soul and gotten me so excited lately:

If I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, all I have to do is Ask!!!!

Last Sunday, our pastor, Ron Hindt of Calvary Chapel Houston, implored us to ask the Lord to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Just ask!!! God is eager to give His children good things!

Luke 11:11-13 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

As believers, we are automatically given the Holy Spirit:

Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 5:5 "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Romans 8:9 "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

And when we receive the Holy Spirit at salvation, we did not receive Him in part, but in full:

John 3:34 "For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit."

John 4:13 "Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'”

John 7:38-39 " 'Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this he meant the Spirit ..."

The references above point to how the Holy Spirit is given and ministers to us constantly as believers. But, what of being FILLED with the Holy Spirit? Why do we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit when we have Him in full already? Why are we commanded to be FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT?

i.e. Ephesians 5:18 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."

Here, Paul is talking to believers, the church in Ephesus. They already have the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:8 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light"

Well, the truth is, as believers, we can fill ourselves/our lives/our minds up with things that are not the Holy Spirit, i.e.

Ephesians 5:3-4 "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."

So, I am determined to ask. I want to bypass the flesh, my fleshly temptations,

Galations 5:16-17 "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."

... and ask...

Luke 11:11-13 "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

John 14:13-14 "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

John 15:8-9 "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Earnestly seeking Him,
Berean Girl

*All scripture quotes are from the NIV Bible

God's Children

Recently, I had a conversation with a dear friend when she mentioned that we are all God's children. This is a common phrase stated by well-meaning people today and it can be true, in a way, but also very false.

I spoke with my hubby about it, who is definitely my faithful sounding board, and realized that people often imply that we are all CREATIONS of God. OK, I can see that. But, on to the Bible to do some studying.

We are all created by God. We are knitted together in our mothers' womb by our Master Creator.
Psalm 139:13
"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb."

We are all loved by God:
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

We are all created in His image:
Genesis 1:27
"So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them."

BUT . . . we are not all His children.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ as His followers are children of God:
John 1:12-13
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."

Only children of God can be His heirs:
Romans 8: 14-17
"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry,“Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

Earnestly seeking Him,
Berean Girl

*All scripture quotes are from the NIV Bible